The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-10-15
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wuEELINo, W. VA. OCTOBER 10. 1887
A New Policy for tho baltimore 4 ohio. i

waENLINu, W. VA, OCTOBER To- 1851
A New Policy for tho baltimore y Ohio.
Whatever tho shortcomings Of Robert
Garrett, and undoubtedly they have been
marked, DO IL not 10 be aaddled with al!
tho responsibility for all that has happen
cd to tho Baltimore & OHIO railroad. His
greatest flults have perhaps boon hlaper.
sonal habits, his boyiah Interpretation OF
bis position aud its duties, hia love OF
pleasure, including p!sasures OF tho apo.
lite, and Ills unwi!llrsncss to sacrifice
uught Of aslt.indulgence for tho cake OF
tho iutoIec!s committed to his charge.
Theso faults haye brought their retribu.
lion and he Is now victim to them, and
nothing need be added in order to point
moral as to his example. Like the con
Of Oliver Cromwell, no was not equal to
tho succession, and tho succession has
consequently vone elsewhere.
The older Garrett was q atrons man,
bsiny Cfemwel!ian in hia 6xity Of pur.
pose, In biz Indifference to public opinion,
in his determination to rule absolutely,
and in his devotion to his work. But he
was also, 90 We have time and again re-
marked, lamertsbly ehori-ighsed. He
had the bankers idea, With which hs was
born and in the practice Of which he was
bred, Of running railroad, VIZ. 10 get
immediate retufns aud ns much OF them
as poasibls on tie iavestmoat. he cue.
cseded 10 the Presidency in 1856 when
the stock OF the road was ceiling under
50, end he proceeded to cut down ex-
panssg, and re.arrange freight schedules
with a view Of making the investment
profitable 10 himself and to hts coufrcrcs.
In this work La waa absolutely ruthless
lie laid burdens grieyious to borne on the
local busineBs Of tho road, and no paid aa
low wages 40 men could be induced to
work for. he curtailed all privileges oil
employees to such an extent that he
brought on the railroad rebellion OF 1877.
He lost sight OF big things, Ike the pur.
chase Of connecting lines and the scquisi.
ton oiterminala at New York and Chics.
80, and devoted himself to the work Of
keeping down expenses and 60 adjusting
his local freights es 10 get every last cent
that could be equsezed out Of the traffic.
BY these means, and by his peculiar
method OF making up annual statements
80 rs to show surplus fnnd that hau
proved O delua;on, no worked tho stock
up from Al in 1856 to 200 before ho died,
and dying g. EAST supposed he he'd left q
legacy 10 the Garrett name and fame
eoual 10 that OF tho Vanderbilts and AS
tors Ct New York. he tried to do for his
son Whist Commodore Vanderbilt tried
and failed to do for his, viz: endow him
with wealth OF railroad property and
make great railroad king out Of lin.
Both these soma were conspicuous failures
as railroad men, especially Robert Garrett,
and both stepped down and out Of their
Inherited positions.
Now comes n sequel that goes far to
teach the world thst all foundations that
are not laid in right and equity will not
endure. Tho syndicate that has been
probing tho Baltimore & Ohio affairs to
the bottom has found that 1t is defective in
local busincss-that although it has been 8
completed road for thirty.iye years 1t has
but a meagre business tributary to ito
track, and, as at the outset, runs through
country largely undeveloped, owing to it's
penny wise aud pound foolish policy.
Making this discovery, tho future con.
trollers OF its policy have, 1t aeems, do.
tsrmined on en- important change, which
is announced to be- that "instead Of cut
ting rates to capture through buaineas, it
will striva to build up local businees."
This change Of policy comes late in the
day, but 1t is matter Of public congrstu-
lation that 1t IL at last to como. liz
adoption is ono OF the sorest needs Of this
great line; great always in it's possibilities,
but dwarisd and stunted by its admins.
tration. Had this policy been entered On
at the outset Of the Garrett regime the
country along tho line Of the road would
have presented a totally diHeren. scene
to-day. There would have been millions
OF taxable values to-day where there is
mex! to nothing, and there would have
beon local population many times
greater than the comparative lew who
have managed to exist despite the re-
atrictive policy Of the road.
Now, after generation, the road has to
retrace its steps and begin at the begin.
ming Of railroad craftsmanship, and try 10
lay different aud moro. reliable Pounds.
ton for business in the future. It's to
stop doing q cu!-throat through business
and endeavor to encourage locsl develop
ment, so as to supply 1t business that no
rival can take from 1t.
'Great are the uses OF adversely" and
now that the Baltimore & Ohio has been
compelled to sell its express and Telegraph
a5juucts and omit liz regular dividend IN
order to extricate itself from financial en-
bsrrassnent, lot us hope that this season
Of advsroity will provo in the end great
boon Tor the corporation itucll and for the
people along lis line whom 1t has done 60
much to slienate in tho past.
X Inconsistent Politics. s24,P